Back to the Beginning
by kisukebenihime
Summary: *Sequel to 'Intervention'* An old enemy resurfaces, catching Konoha off guard. Now, Sakura is trapped in the rubble that was once the Uchiha main house. Funny how some events just put you back to where you started.


Back to the Beginning

(**A/N**: Alright, this little number stemmed from the many requests -demands- for a sequel to 'Intervention'. So, here you go. I do hope you enjoy the show… you did ask for it.)

**Summary: *Sequel to 'Intervention'*** An old enemy resurfaces, catching Konoha off guard. Now, Sakura is trapped in the rubble that was once the Uchiha main house. Funny how some events just put you back to where you started.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto in any way, shape or form.

~xxx~

The first thing that crossed Itachi's mind as he stared at the screen next to the bed was the fact that Sasuke owed Shisui a hundred bucks. In all honesty, Itachi was more than shocked to see the little images of his children on the black and white screen. Yes, children. You heard that right. Twins to be exact, and he couldn't be happier.

"Double congratulations are in order then." Tsunade chimed as she looked to the stunned Uchihas staring at the screen. The blonde smiled broadly as Sakura snapped her gaping mouth shut and Itachi gripped his pink-haired wife's hand tightly. After telling his family -only four days prier to today- Itachi had been prepared for anything… that is until his eyes landed on the blurry screen positioned directly in front of him; now he found himself a little intimidated at the prospect of caring for two infants at once.

"Two, Tachi-kun." Sakura whispered, tearing her eyes from the screen to look at her husband. The smile on her face only served to solidify that fact that he was not dreaming and that this was definitely real. Itachi slowly let out a breath he had been holding and nodded softly. Turning his full attention to Sakura, he gave her had a squeeze. She squeezed back, letting out a breathless laugh. _"Two!"_

"Yes, aisai, there are definitely two." he told her with a small, rare smile reserved only for her. "You do realize that Shisui was right?"

Sakura chuckled softly. "Kaa-san will be thrilled about the news." a soft kiss was shared between the expecting parents as Tsunade printed out a picture as proof and handed it to Itachi.

"Knowing you, Itachi, and Sakura's family history, I'm not surprised in the least." Tsunade said, switching off the monitor and cleaning Sakura's stomach of the cold gel used for an ultrasound. "Twins are common in your family, after all."

Sakura responded in kind with a small smile and a nod. "Yeah, one in five are twins." the pink-haired Uchiha informed as she pulled her shirt down. At two months, one could barely see the bump of her womb that would, undoubtedly, get bigger in the months to come. With twins, tiny Sakura would be a balloon by the time she was due. And there were risks when it came to a woman of her size and birthing twins. It wasn't uncommon for a woman of her stature to have a cesarean section to minimize the risk of harm to both mother and children. Sakura knew this well.

"Now, how is the morning sickness?" Sakura could help by sigh at Tsunade's question.

"It sucks, but it's getting better."

"As expected for the prenatal vitamins." the blonde responded with a smirk. "I want to schedule your next appointment for a month from now. If you have any questions or concerns -or, heaven forbid, something happens- don't hesitate to come see me." Tsunade instructed with an air of finality, she saw this pregnancy as her first two grandchildren after all.

"You got it, Shishou." Sakura grinned, sitting up on the bed and adjusting her clothes. That gel made her feel icky and now she wanted a shower.

"You can rest assured that Sakura will be well cared for, Tsunade-sama." Itachi spoke, helping his wife off the bed. It was a promise, a vow, that nothing would ever happen to his dear wife. Tsunade knew better than most that the Uchiha heir's words were as good as gold.

"That said, Itachi-san, I want to discuss the risks involved in birthing twins." the air around them chilled as the Hokage spoke. "You're a strong woman, Sakura, but the risks apply to every woman bearing twins."

"Yes, Shishou, I understand." Sakura nodded, meeting her mentor's gaze head on.

"Enlighten me." Itachi said as a fierce surge of protectiveness coursed through his veins. Sakura turned to face her husband, her lips thinned to a grim, firm line.

"There's a number of things, Itachi-kun." she told him, her voice quiet, yet sad. "First and foremost there's preterm labor which makes birthing multiple children high risk. Seventy percent of twin births don't make it to full term. That's not to say that the children don't make it, it just means that they come far sooner than expected and have to be placed in an incubator in the ICU until they are healthy enough to go home. Next is TTTS, Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, in which the blood vessels within the placenta become crossed, resulting in unequal blood flow between babies. One baby essentially becomes a donor baby to the other recipient baby. It's very dangerous for both children."

Sakura took a deep breath, it was as if she were reciting her medical texts. "Finally, Monoamnionic Monochorionic or Mo-Mo. It's rare but just as dangerous. Mo-Mo is when the umbilical cords become crossed and compressed, cutting off the flow of nutrients and oxygen to their developing bodies. These conditions apply specifically to identical twins." Itachi stood shell-shocked for a moment before pulling Sakura into his arms. He could tell that this was weighing heavily on her mind.

"We can test for the last two conditions as the pregnancy progresses. There's no need to worry." Tsunade assured the couple with a smile. "Keep taking your vitamins and you'll be just fine. However, I am suspending you from your hospital duties, just to be sure."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

"Well, you're free to go. Just remember what I said; if there's anything you need, come see me."

~xxx~

Shisui's triumphant shout of 'Hell yeah!' could be heard throughout the compound and Sasuke's deadly glare on said man could be felt by anyone within a ten meter radius. Fugaku had clapped a hand on Itachi's shoulder in a rare display of pride while Mikoto squealed and hugged Sakura, nearly squeezing the life out of the pink-haired woman. Sakura was all smiles, standing next to her husband as he nodded his thanks to his family's congratulations.

"I bet they're both boys!" shouted an ecstatic Shisui as he counted the money he receive from Sasuke.

"We won't find out for sure for a few more months, Shisui." Sakura supplied earning a pout from him. She giggled softly as the group finally moved into the kitchen for lunch. As the Onigiri was passed around the table along with miso soup, Sakura found herself really, really hungry… for pickles and mashed potatoes. Oh, and burnt toast sounded so good to her right now. As she poked at the miso soup, Itachi eyed her wearily, wondering why she wasn't eating.

"Is something the matter, Sakura?" he asked, concerned. "Are you not feeling well?" everyone's full attention fell on the pregnant woman at the table.

"N-no, I'm fine." she stammered with a scarlet blush, still poking at her soup and rice balls.

"I see." Mikoto smirked knowingly at her pink-haired daughter-in-law. "What would you like instead, Sakura-chan?" Sakura smiled up at her mother-in-law, gratitude shinning bright in her emerald eyes.

"Mashed potatoes with pickles and toast with grape jelly spread on top." she informed with a tight nod. "Oh, and ketchup." Mikoto laughed as she stood, shaking her head.

"I remember those days." the three younger Uchiha men at the table stared blankly between the two women, turning their heads at the barely perceivable groan form Fugaku who was remembering Mikoto's pregnancies, and that his son's pink-haired wife was twice as fiery as his wife.

"What? Pregnant women have cravings, damn it!" and mood swings too, apparently.

It took some getting used to, on Itachi's part as Sakura's cravings and mood swings raged on. Months of looking after his dear wife and watching her stomach swell under with protective gaze still could not dampen the pride he felt each time they were alone. The soft flutter of feet (or hands - he wasn't exactly sure) against Sakura's stomach, under his warm hand, was enough to calm any anxiety he felt about the pregnancy. Her visits to Tsunade were always exceedingly well as there were no problems with the developing children.

Sakura was now towards the middle of her third trimester. Thirty-four weeks to be exact. She wasn't nearly as tired as she had been in her first trimester, but the strain of carrying two children was evident by the way she waddled through the halls, on her way to the bathroom or kitchen. They had found out, in week thirteen, that one of the babies was definitely a boy but the other was harder to determine due to its position, close to its brother. It wasn't until week fifteen that they found out they were having fraternal twins; one boy and one girl. Thus making their initial worries null and void.

Everything was going great. Sakura was always happy (when she wasn't complaining about being fat) and well cared fore. Itachi saw to her every need and whim. Like today, for example. While Sakura was sitting by the fireplace, keeping the October chill at bay, Itachi scooped another spoonful of Moose Tracks ice cream into a bowl before adding Luck Charms cereal and mixing them together for her. And when he wasn't home to care for the pink-haired mother-to-be, Mikoto gladly took on the role of Sakura's caretaker. But Itachi owed all of Sakura's happiness to his father's words, six months ago.

~Flashback~

_Fugaku sat in the den with a scroll in hand as Sasuke poked at the fireplace with the cast-iron prod, keeping the flames alive for a while longer. Shisui giggled quietly over the latest addition of Icha Icha in the corner as Itachi walked quietly into the room, looking as though he had just seen a ghost. The three men before him looked up, Sasuke and Shisui cringing while Fugaku smirked. Apparently, Itachi had been run ragged by Sakura's ever-changing moods already. Last time Fugaku checked, Sakura was screaming at Itachi for 'following her around like a lost puppy' while his son stood in the doorway to their bedroom and took it like a man._

_"Are all pregnant women that crazy?" Shisui asked, closing the book and putting it on the table beside him. Itachi said nothing as he sat down with a heavy (albeit, quiet) sigh, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. The Uchiha heir pulled the tie holding his hair back and flicked it across the room._

_"I have to sleep on the couch tonight to give Sakura her space." Sasuke made a whip cracking sound as he chuckled at his brother's misfortune. "For your information, otouto, my wife is pregnant and is bound to get angry at some point." Sasuke continued to laugh._

_"It doesn't change the fact that you have to sleep on the couch."_

_"Sasuke, that's enough." Fugaku warned in a firm, no-nonsense tone that made the youngest Uchiha stand up straight and bow while mumbling an apology. Fugaku set his scroll down with a frown as he turned to face his oldest son. "Trust me, I know exactly how you feel."_

_"Ne, oji-sama, did baa-chan make you sleep on the couch, too?" Shisui snickered, ignoring the glare dear, old uncle Fugaku sent his way._

_"She did, actually." he answered, surprising everyone. "I spent the first month, while she was pregnant with Itachi, on the couch." Fugaku stood from his chair and walked towards the courtyard door. "Itachi, come and walk with me." Itachi stood and followed his father out of the house to the coy pond, leaving two stumped Uchihas in the house._

_Clan leader and heir stared down into the murky waters of the pond for some time before Fugaku cleared his throat and looked at his son._

_"Itachi, I have spoken to you about many things, trained you, mentored you, tried to make you the best shinobi you could be. But all of the advice and praise I have given you over the years to keep you alive, to do your duty, to survive… pales in comparison to this." he pause then, letting his words sink in. "Do not upset Sakura during her pregnancy if you want to live." Itachi blinked in confusion, raising an eyebrow at his father._

_"I'm not sure I understand."_

_Fugaku sighed. "Your wife… Sakura," he corrected. "She has a temper like a firecracker, one spark is all it takes to set her off. It was the same for your mother, and trust me, I've learned my lesson." Itachi nodded, finally understanding what his father was trying to convey. "Whatever she asks of you, do it. If she has a craving for some ungodly food, get it. And never, under any circumstances, tell her she's fat."_

_"Fuga-kun, I'm heading off to bed." Mikoto called from the doorway. Fugaku turned to face his wife._

_"I'll be up in a moment." he answered back with a wave of is hand. He then turned back to Itachi and nodded. "That's all the advice I can give you. The rest, I'm sure, you'll pick up quickly."_

_"Thank you, father." Itachi bowed as Fugaku returned to the house._

_"And one more thing, Itachi." his father called over his shoulder. "Apologize first thing tomorrow or you'll never live it down. It doesn't matter if it's your fault or not, to a pregnant, hormonal woman, 'I'm sorry' is as meaningful as 'I love you.'"_

~End Flashback~

Itachi had taken those words to heart and, as luck would have it, Sakura had come to him that night and had asked for him to come to bed. He apologized to her as they snuggled into the sheets and slept the whole night. And that was the only time Itachi had come into contact with her outrageous temper during the pregnancy. Shisui and Sasuke on the other hand… well, let's just say that they still haven't learned their lesson just yet. Itachi chuckled softly as he finished making Sakura's special treat, as scary as those times may have been, he wouldn't change a thing.

"Tachi-kun!" Sakura called from the den, he could practically hear her smile. A soft giggle passed her lips, telling Itachi that the children were active again. And so, he hurried into the den to sit next to her.

~xxx~

"It's a simple delivery mission to the Daimyo's palace. This shouldn't take more than ten or twelve hours, if you move fast enough you should be home by noon tomorrow." Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples roughly with her fingers. "Unfortunately, the old bastard's so paranoid that he wants an ANBU squad to make the delivery. I promised to send the best," amber eyes looked to the stoic male standing before her desk. "That means your team, Uchiha-san."

"Understood, Hokage-sama." the man said with a polite bow. "When do we leave?" he inquired, dark brows creased as the blonde blatantly reached for her sake.

"The old fool," she hissed, pouring herself a shot and muttering a string of colorful words under her breath. "I'm sorry this is such short notice… you leave in two hours." sighed the Hokage before gulping a shot of the strong rice wine.

Itachi frowned slightly at the news. "This poses a problem," he told her, moving to sit in one of the empty chairs across from Tsunade. The blonde quirked a brow, leaning forward in her chair.

"Oh? How so?"

"Sasuke is due to return from his mission tomorrow evening and my parents will be out of the compound, meeting with an old friend most of the day." Itachi explained. "Sakura will be all alone." the Hokage sighed heavily, rubbing her temples in aggravation.

"I see," she said softly, blinking a few times as she tried to figure out the best solution to the problem. Itachi's team had to go, that was a must, but what to do about Sakura? Thinking quickly, Tsunade opened the 'missions assignment book' and flipped threw the first few pages. "Here we go," she told him with a smirk. "Uchiha Hitomi's team isn't on any missions at the moment and she's a capable medic who studied under Sakura." a Chunin team would be more than enough to look after Sakura and her precious cargo… and having a medic -and someone Sakura knew- didn't hurt either.

"Very well." agreed the clan heir as he stood with a nod. "I will inform Tenten that her team is needed for a briefing immediately."

"Yes, you do that." Tsunade stood from her desk, closing the assignment book with a flick of the wrist. "And hurry back."

~xxx~

Sakura sat on the window seat in the bedroom she shared with her husband, absently rubbing her belly as she watched the leaves sway in the wind. This was where Itachi often found her, watching from the doorway as Sakura turned her attention to the ruckus going on in her womb, a soft, warm smile on her lips. And it always made Itachi feel warm throughout his body - her smile could melt the thickest ice, in his opinion. He watched her coo to their unborn children, chuckling lightly as their activity only increased. Itachi stepped into the room, forgoing packing for his mission in favor of placing a gentle hand on Sakura's distended belly. She was not surprised by the action in the least.

"They are very active today," he spoke softly as the kicking and pawing pressed against his open palm. Sakura nodded in agreement.

"Yes, and they know it's you. They are not this active for anyone else." this pleased Itachi to hear but time was practically marching down his throat and he needed to pack.

"Hitomi's team will be here in the morning to watch over you." Itachi told her, looking into her confused viridian orbs. With an apologetic smile, Itachi leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before doing the same to her belly, whispering quietly to his children to behave while he was gone. Sakura blinked rapidly, opening her mouth to speak but nothing came out. "There is nothing to worry about, Sakura." he told her, easing his body down to kneel before her. "I will be home by noon tomorrow."

Her brows furrowed as her head cocked to the side. "When do you leave?" she asked after a pause, pleading emerald beseeched deep onyx. A large, warm hand touched her cheek, she was too emotional to begin with, pregnancy only made it worse but he didn't mind at all. It made her even more irresistible to him -her compassion for others is what inevitably drew him to her.

"In an hour," replied her husband with a light frown. "You will not be alone, Hitomi will be here before mother and father leave and I will be home as soon as I can."

"I'm not worried about being alone, Itachi… I'm worried about you." she whispered, leaning as far as she could to place a kiss on his cheek. A series of fluttering movements made her pause and smile as her darling man rubbed her belly -it was as if they were worried too. Itachi picked up on this and kissed her belly once more.

"There is nothing to worry about," he spoke against the fabric of Sakura's soft-yellow shirt, talking to the little misfits under it. "I will return shortly. Be good for mommy." her heart soared watching him like that, so carefree and gentle -a far cry from the emotionless mask he wore for others. Sakura even doubted that the rest of his family knew he could be this kind and gentle toward another human being. Then again, stranger things have happened. And the moment was over a few minutes later. Itachi stood and began packing an overnight bag. They exchanged idol chat as he packed, confirming last-minute ideas for the nursery.

"There is one thing I want to do before you leave," Sakura said, waddling down the hall after her husband. Itachi placed his pack by the door, he still had time before he needed to be at the gates.

"Aa?" he asked, helping her to sit at the kitchen table, Mikoto and Fugaku were there as well but weren't paying much attention to them.

"We still haven't picked out names for them." this captured the attention of the expecting grandparents, who turned to face their son with knowing glances.

"Ichigo for our boy and Sayaka for our girl." Itachi stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Of course, he had his heart set on those names since they found out they were having twins… he just never told Sakura. She, in turn, blinked twice before smiling. Their son would share an 'I' name with his father and their daughter would share an 'S' name with her mother.

"I love them!" she beamed from her seat as Itachi made tea. And in that moment, nothing could go wrong; all was right and well in their home. But Itachi had to leave soon after that.

~xxx~

Hitomi looked like any other Uchiha; long, black hair and rich, ebony eyes that shined with intelligence. She looked a lot like her great-aunt, Mikoto, and was often told so. Her team consisted of Aburame Hattori and Yamanaka Kei, both were cousins to the heirs of their respected clans (what Tsunade was thinking when she put this team together, no one knows for sure). The team sat in the kitchen of the Uchiha main house at seven in the morning with Fugaku on one end of the table and Mikoto on the other, Sakura had yet to appear as breakfast was served.

Sakura entered the kitchen with a tired yawn, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she went straight for the chocolate syrup; bacon was always better with chocolate. Dressed in a purple maternity sweater and flowing black skirt, Sakura joined her in-laws and team fifteen at the table.

"Good morning everyone." she greeted with a smile as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"Please, take what you want," Mikoto spoke warmly, offering a plate of pancakes to the preteens. "There won't be any leftovers."

"Very funny, Kaa-san." Sakura spoke, dipping her bacon in the chocolate syrup and popping it in her mouth. "So, are you guys ready for a whole lot of nothing?"

"We are prepared for anything, Sakura-sensei." Hitomi spoke as her teammates stuffed their faces. The raven-haired girl had to save her blonde teammate from choking twice as they ate. And as Mikoto said, there were no leftovers… Sakura had four servings to herself, Fugaku had two while everyone else had one plate a piece. The boys of team fifteen washed and dried the dishes as Mikoto and Hitomi helped Sakura into the den so she could finish knitting booties for her babies. Mikoto and Fugaku left a little while later, hugging their pregnant daughter-in-law before heading out the door.

"Sakura-sama, when are you due?" Kei asked, blue eyes focused on her knitting as he tried to figure out just how it stayed together.

"Well, since a vast majority of multiple births occur between weeks thirty-six and thirty-eight, Shishou thought we should be expecting about the same. So, that means in the next week or so. I just stared week thirty-five." Sakura explained with a smile. "I do wish they would come soon, I really miss seeing my feet."

"What does it feel like? When they kick, I mean." Hattori questioned, curious about that little fact.

Sakura giggled a little. "Well, it's kinda hard to describe. The feeling is rather weird and uncomfortable, like when you have the stomach flu and you get that rolling sensation in your gut before you get sick," she said, gesturing with her hands as the team nodded in understanding. "Only there's more pressure behind it and it's not just against your stomach. They seem to love to dance on my bladder the most though."

"That's what my mom said about my brother." Hitomi added with a shudder. "Not something I'm looking forward to." Sakura laughed at her cousin-in-law.

"By the time you get used to it, they're ready to come out." just then, there was a mighty kick delivered to her stomach. Sakura gave a soft groan as one of the babies tap-danced on her intestines and the other, well, it felt like the other was having a boxing match with her left kidney. "Do you guys wanna feel?"

Hitomi placed her hand on Sakura's belly first, feeling something press back against her palm. "That is so weird!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. "Are you sure it doesn't hurt?"

"It only hurts when they're bashing organs like playing the drums." Kei and Hattori felt her stomach next, wide eyes locked on her belly as the preteens felt the babies flutter underhand.

"Whoa…"

"That's kinda gross," they said, one after another, pulling their hands away as Sakura giggled.

"You say that now. Just wait until you have children of your own." then she had the sudden urge to pee. With help from the boys, Sakura awkwardly stood from the sofa and waddled her way to the bathroom. On her way back, Sakura stopped at the pantry, looking for Itachi's secret stash of dango flavored cookies. "Hey, can one of you come here really quick, there's a pack of cookies here that I can't reach." Sakura walked a little further into the pantry, looking for the cheese dip she knew was in there when the ceiling rumbled, the floors shook and the walls quivered around her. She stilled in the middle of the eight by six room, blinking in surprise. Was that an earthquake?

No. The rumbling wasn't shallow enough to be an earthquake. A quake shook everything from the ground up, this was definitely coming from above. So what the hell was going on outside? Then there was a loud crash from somewhere above her. On instinct, Sakura dropped to her knees, coving her head with on hand and her stomach with the other as the walls shook more violently this time. Canned food, boxed noodles and bags of flour flew off the shelves as the crashing sounds grew louder. Sakura scurried on her hands and knees to the back wall, where the extra wash clothes were kept, avoiding fallen cans while being pelted with dust and debris from the ceiling.

A loud pop echoed around Sakura as she hurriedly shoved herself into a corner, curling up into a ball to protect her stomach from whatever fell. There was a rush of air around her, then a horrendous groan of wood bearing too much weight. And with a deafening snap, the ceiling caved in on her, trapping Sakura in the pantry.

~xxx~

Shinobi and civilians scattered like cockroaches avoiding a newspaper, searching for cover as the western wall exploded and showered over the Uchiha district and market plaza. Then everything was oddly quiet as the dust settled. Children were crying, people calling out for loved ones and the invasion bells chiming in the distance from the Hokage tower. But it all seemed to be on mute for Mikoto as she looked over Fugaku's shoulder. They had just arrived at their friend's home when the first blast rocked them to their knees, having a hard time standing due to the vicious shaking of the earth.

"… you alright?" a muffled voice called her attention. Glazed, onyx blinked rapidly, turning towards the source of the muffled sound. Fugaku grimaced above her, a large plank of burning wood lay across his back. Fellow shinobi came to their aid, pulling the burning away before Fugaku stood and helped his wife to her feet. "Mikoto, are you alright?" he asked again, his voice a little clearer than before. Mikoto stood in the circle of his arms, rubbing the side of her head.

"I-I think so, dear." she answered scarcely, sounding a little more shaken than anything else. The fog in her mind cleared slowly as Fugaku pulled her down the debris riddled street, sounds became clearer, she could focus better and there were no longer any spots dancing in her vision. Surprise flashed in her system as Mikoto looked around her. It all seemed so surreal to her.

Frantic civilians ran passed her, shinobi bounded above the street in a mad dash to save as many lives as possible, and it mad her wonder what had happened. Well, she got her answer when they turned the corner.

"Uchiha-sama!" Kei shouted from above them, waving his arms frantically as he stood on the outer wall of the Uchiha district. From where she stood, Mikoto could see that their home stood in a pile of rubble as members of the clan combed the debris around the main house.

"Oh, dear Kami-sama," Mikoto breathed, unable to believe the sight before her. Kei bounded towards them, panic clear in his sapphire eyes as he rushed towards them.

"Sa-Sakura-sama is still inside the house." he said, his ash covered face bore a striking resemblance to that of a child that had seen something so horrendous that he had been scarred for life. Gulping in air, Kei pointed to the rubble behind him. "She was in the pantry when the explosion shook the house to the ground. No one's seen her since and we can't hear anything."

"Go to the hospital and request medical aid, don't come back without a medic." Fugaku ordered the eleven-year-old who nodded and took off like a bat out of hell. Mikoto wasn't listening to her husbands words as she rushed into the compound.

"Sakura-chan!"

~xxx~

Sakura opened her eyes when the room stopped shaking. It was dark and quiet; too quiet. Panic bubbled in her veins as she tried to stand but couldn't. she could feel the cracked surface of the ceiling just inched above her head. Dear lord, what happened? Well, she could safely assume she wasn't dead, her head hurt a little, there was a small amount of sweat trailing down the side of her face -at least she hoped it was sweat- and she felt like her right arm was on fire.

"If you can feel pain then you know you're alive, Sakura-chan." she told herself, moving her body slowly to sit completely on the floor. She needed to assess her injuries, check her babies and find a way out of there and she really wished she could use her chakra. Sakura was stressed enough as it was, using her chakra would only stress her body further and her babies. Growling, Sakura grimaced as her right arm jarred painfully against the wall, causing her to hiss through clenched teeth. Yup, her right arm was officially broken.

"Ok Sakura, think about where you are and what you know is in here." she scolded herself, holding her arm to her chest. Sakura knew she was in the pantry and she knew it was a lot bigger than it felt right now. The cabinets must have fallen over when the ceiling came down on her. That was the only logical explanation she could come up with to account for the cramped space she sat in now. Sakura shifted her feet to feel around for the fallen cabinets… and found them to be a foot away from her. Good, she had more space than she thought but now her butt hurt from sitting on the hard floor.

Scooting slowly along the floor, Sakura felt around with her left hand. Pieces of glass, wood and ceiling tile were all she found until she reached the other side of the room. Feeling around the bleak darkness, her hand came across a candleholder and she knew there were candles and matches not to far from it. As luck would have it, there were bottles of water not too far away, she discovered during her search for the tiny box of matches. It took her, at least, ten more minutes to find the damn matches.

Lighting a candle, she almost cried when she saw the state of the pantry. It looked as though Choji had been in there looking for a bags of chips then got pissed off when he found none. Sakura shoved the candle in the holder and set it down so she could assess her damaged right arm. There was a nasty gash extending from the middle point of her upper arm down to her elbow and she could feel the way the bone sat unevenly from the break. Being as careful as she could, Sakura cleaned the gash with the water she had found -setting some aside to drink later- and carefully wrapped it in some of the clean wash clothes. Now to set her broken arm.

This took some careful and thought-out planning. She cut some rags into strips with a piece of glass, made a sling with a towel she found in another corner and gently pulled two similar sized piece of broken cabinetry from the middle of the room. After making sure all of the items she was going to use were as clean as she could get them before getting to work.

Sakura used the wall to braced her arm with one piece of wood between the wall and her arm. This was going to hurt. A lot. Feeling for the break with practiced ease, Sakura grimaced as pain bloomed from the tips of her finger to the base of her neck. Moving the second board into place, Sakura tied the bottom half of the make-shift splint into place before reaching for another piece of cloth. She pressed her shoulder into the wall while guiding the lower half of her arm into position. Searing pain caused her to flinch and cry out but she quickly tired the splint in place before easing her arm into the sling she made. A familiar fluttering sensation caught her attention as her children protested the stress she had put herself through.

"Mommy's sorry." she whispered, trying to catch her breath after setting her broken arm. "Mommy won't do that again." Sakura cooed, rubbing her belly with her good hand before reaching for a bottle of water. She had hoped the water was ease the babies and calm them but no such luck. So she resigned herself to her new found exhaustion and closed her eyes. Sakura began to hum softly, hoping that would help calm her children as it had in the passed. She sat up suddenly, warm liquid rushing from her body. She either wet herself or-

Sakura shifted her body to see the liquid pooling around her behind and almost screamed.

"No, no, no! When mommy said she wished you'd come soon… _I didn't mean today!_"

~xxx~

Squad one completed their mission in record time. Now they were on the way home. Itachi, Shisui, Genma and Shino ran through the night, slept the last five hours of the night in the trees and met with the daimyo first thing in the morning. They had made excellent time. At the rate they were going, the team was sure to be home just in time for lunch. But then Shino paused, his Kikaichuu insects were becoming restless, buzzing uneasily within his body as if an enemy were near.

"What's up, Shino?" Genma asked, stopping next to the youngest member of their team.

"Something is wrong," the bug shinobi stated plainly, one could almost hear the frown in his voice. "My Kikaichuu are acting strangely." from their right, Itachi hummed in agreement -his instincts were telling him something was off as well.

"Us your Kikaichuu to scout ahead, we will continue our journey home."

"Why don't I just zap home, poke around for a bit then zap back? Takes less time." Shisui offered with a shrug of his shoulders. Scary how useful and smart he could be sometimes.

"And where was that usefulness on that recon mission a few months back?" Genma snapped, senbon bobbing between his lips. Shisui rubbed the back of his neck as he chuckled nervously.

"I have my moments." he grumbled then his body flickered like a dimming light before he disappeared completely.

Itachi turned to his remaining members and nodded. "Be prepared to move out and double check your gear." Shisui wasn't gone for more than ten minutes before he flickered back into sight, eyes wide and obviously shaken.

"What's wrong?"

"Konoha is under attack, half of the Uchiha district has been turned to rubble but the invading force is being pushed out of the village."

"We have no time to waist." Itachi snapped, his tone chipped and harsh. Shisui whipped out a teleportation scroll and zapped them into the village.

~xxx~

Sakura ground her teeth as another contraction rippled through her lower abdomen. From what she could tell, they were forty-five minutes apart. The babies weren't quiet ready to come just yet. That was a good thing because she really, really didn't want to give birth to them while stuck in the wreckage of the pantry. Panting heavily, Sakura tried to focus on her breathing but it was hard to focus on anything when she was stuck in a cramped space with one bottle of water left, two babies that wanted out and a shifting ceiling over her head.

The world was not kind!

"…Kura-chan! Can you hear me?" Sakura blinked, eyes snapping to the ceiling to her left.

"K-Kaa-san?" she called loudly, thanking the heavens above for sending her mother-in-law.

"Ino-chan, over here." Mikoto hollered frantically, loud enough for Sakura to hear her down below. Sakura laughed out loud as she leaned against the wall with exhausted relief. She could hear boards being tossed aside, voices were getting louder, clearer, as time marched on. Soon a beam of light penetrated the darkness (the only candle she was able to dig up had burned up an hour or so ago, it was hard to tell time in the small space).

"Hang in there, Forehead-girl, we'll get you out in a jiffy." Ino said as her dirt smeared face came into view.

"Well, you'd better hurry, Ino-pig. The misfits aren't going to wait much longer." the blonde stiffened in surprise.

"When?" her one word question came out in a whisper.

"I can't say exactly, it's hard to tell."

"Ballpark it for me."

Sakura sighed in response. "Five, maybe six, hours ago. My contractions are about… thirty minutes apart." Mikoto gasped in surprise next to Ino.

"Oh dear, they are coming fast." she said, almost as panicked as her daughter-in-law. Ino nodded, determined to get her friend out of harms way.

"Alright, here's what's going on." Ino spoke to her hurt, pink-haired friend. "We are going to clear out some more space so that I can get down there and check your condition. Then were are going to hoist your ass out of there and get you to the hospital."

"Sounds good to me." Sakura replied, scooting over to make room for Ino. "Do you guys have any water up there? I'm almost all out."

"Yeah, hold on a second." Mikoto said standing up. "Fugaku-kun! We need water over here!" tending to his kinsmen, Fugaku looked over to see Mikoto and Ino peering into a hole. They found her!

"I'll be right over." he told them, nodding to the younger Uchiha who had broken his leg in the fight against the invading forces. Picking up his canteen, Fugaku hurried over to his wife and peered down to see and beaten and bandaged Sakura sitting on the floor. She was covered in sweat and dirt, blood was smeared down the left side of her face, her right arm was splinted and tied up in a sling and she was panting heavily. Why did he feel a sense of unease the longer he looked down at her. Fugaku lowered the canteen down to her then helped Ino to clear more debris away.

"Is Itachi back yet?" they heard Sakura ask from down below. Mikoto was peering over the hole in an instant.

"Not yet dear. But we'll let him know where you the moment he does return." but then Sakura gave a pained cry, another contraction tore through her battered body. Mikoto reached down and touched Sakura's shoulder, talking the pained girl through the contraction, telling her to breath deeply. The contraction passed minutes later and Sakura sagged farther against the wall.

"Kaa-san, it won't be much longer now." Sakura warned in a breathless whisper, whimpering as the pain ebbed away.

"Ino-chan, you need to get down there, now."

~xxx~

Itachi fought tooth and nail against the enemy until his main target came into view. Protected was the snake by his ever-faithful servant. But Shisui took care of the white-haired doctor, stealing him away with his Body Flicker technique. Now it was just Itachi and Orochimaru.

"So, I see you've come to play with me, Itachi-kun." the snake snickered with his trademark 'ku, ku, ku'. Itachi said nothing as he activated his Sharingan, glaring at the man who caused him and his family so much trouble. "Aw, don't be like that, Itachi. I only want the Sharingan, then I'll leave you alone."

"Sasuke is not here." Itachi informed the Sannin as he drew his katana.

"Oh, I know that." Orochimaru sneered with a glint in his eyes that Itachi didn't like. At. All. "Your naïve, little wife carries the one I want. A child that I can mold and shape as I see fit." a fit of laughter left Orochimaru as he watched Itachi freeze. Black, pitted tomoe spun wildly as the proud Uchiha snarled.

"You will not touch my children."

"Oh? So there are two of them, then?" another bout of laughter had Orochimaru's frame shaking with such joy that the snake gradually let his guard down. "I couldn't get you, the proud prodigy that you are, you refused my your precious otouto… so I'll just have to settle for your children then. I might as well take your pretty, little wife too, she may prove useful to me as-" he was cut off when Itachi attacked with such ferocity that it actually surprised him.

A primal rage filled Itachi as he lunged forward, slicing Orochimaru's left cheek as the bastard dodged right. Stunned by the feel of the blade slicing into his flesh, Orochimaru ducked and preformed quick hand seals. Snakes, thousands or snakes, poured from his mouth. Itachi shot away from the snakes, hands blurring in a series of seals.

"Katon Goukakyuu no Justus." flames erupted from Itachi's mouth, burning every last serpent in his way before he lunged again. Orochimaru was quick to dodge but Itachi was faster in attack. One moment, Orochimaru had been smirking with glee like the Devil himself, and the next he was eating dirt with blinding pain emanating from his right should. "I will be sure that you remain dead this time." the Uchiha spoke in a voice so calm, it would have caused hardened criminals to shudder in fear.

"Ku, ku, ku… you surprise me, Itachi-kun." cackled the Sannin, turning his head to look at the furious Uchiha heir. "One would think that a man protecting his family would do anything to keep them safe." ruby eyes glared fiercely, raising a kunai to deliver the final blow. Orochimaru's mouth opened and something white shot forward before his body crumbled under Itachi's grip. And Orochimaru thought he had gotten away until he came face-to-face with another pair of ruby eyes.

"I think you lost something, Aniki." Sasuke said, Sharingan eyes trained on the Sannin who stared at him in surprise.

"Nice of you to join us, otouto." Itachi commented offhandedly while standing smoothly.

"Same some fun for me, guys." Shisui hollered as he flickered into existence, trapping Orochimaru between his younger cousins. And all escape was blocked off with the arrival of Naruto.

"I hope you guys didn't plan on leaving me out of this because I am not leaving until he's dead. Believe it!"

"Took you long enough, dead last." Sasuke smirked, eyes still on Orochimaru.

"Shut up, Teme. It's not my fault those guys came after me first." Naruto grumbled then grinned at his best friend. "You're just pissed that I killed more of them than you did."

'I'm surrounded by idiots,' thought Orochimaru as he eased back a step and turned to face Itachi. "Really, now. Is it necessary to involve these children in our battle?"

"That would be your own fault." Shisui hissed reaching for a kunai. Four pairs of ruby eyes never left the pale-skinned man in the middle. Three sets of Sharingan spun in anger as crimson, slit eyes glittered with hatred. Itachi shifted his feet, drawing Orochimaru's attention. Shisui flickered in and out of focus, appearing next to Orochimaru with a clone and snagged the Sannin in a bruising grip.

Sasuke flew in with a Chidori fully charged and aimed for Orochimaru's chest. He hit his mark, arm driving through flesh, muscle, and bone until his hand appeared through the other side dripping with blood. Sasuke pulled back quickly as Naruto rocketed forward with his Rasengan. Another hole ripped through Orochimaru, this time the Rasengan blew through his stomach and obliterated everything around it as Shisui and his clone held his arms tighter. Hardly able to breath, Orochimaru sagged in Shisui's grasp as Itachi raised his arms. There was no time to think, only stare as another Grand Fireball hurtled it's way from Itachi's lips and across the space of the battlefield.

At the last possible second, Shisui let go and ran for cover. Naruto, Sasuke and Itachi watched Orochimaru's body burn to ashes with satisfaction.

"Ugh, remind me to never do that again." called Shisui, holding his scorched left hand carefully. "Now I know what barbequed pork must feel like."

"Let's go home." Sasuke said with a sigh.

~xxx~

Ino slid into the space open, next to her friend as Sakura cried out in agony. This contraction was more powerful than the last and Sakura knew that time had finally run out. The sun was starting to set into the horizon, marking the tenth hour since the attack started. Sakura's water had broken at least eight hours ago and the babies were coming fast.

"All right, let's have a look." Ino said, rushing to lift Sakura's skirt. Sakura had long since rid herself of her soiled panties, not wanting to deal with them as time drew nearer for the coming birth of her children. "Dear Kami-sama in heaven!" she exclaimed while reaching for her med kit. "Push when I tell you to, Sakura." putting on rubber gloves, Ino looked up to Mikoto with set shoulders and determined sapphire eyes. "We need clean blankets and warm water immediately."

"God, Ino! _Hurry. UP!_" Sakura cried, gripping her own knee with her good hand. A string of colorful curses left Sakura's parched lips while Ino instructed her to push. Sakura could hardly breath as she pushed again with a mighty cry. Water and blankets were lowered moments later and a warm, strong hand settled on Sakura's shoulder.

"Sakura," her name was whispered softly. She didn't need to look up to know who it was as Sakura quickly grabbed the hand and help it tightly.

"Thank Kami!" cried Sakura while squeezing Itachi's hand tightly and pushing once more.

"The head is through, Sakura. One more big push, ok?" Ino encouraged looking up quickly. "And push!" Sakura grit her teeth and pushed as hard as she could. Air left her lugs as the pressure finally stopped. A loud wail penetrated the small area. Ino quickly cut the cord, cleaned the baby and wrapped it in a blanket. "Looks like boys first today." Sakura laughed breathlessly as little Ichigo was held up for her to see.

"He's so beautiful." Sakura cried with a smile while Ino let her hold him for a brief moment before passing him off to Itachi. Itachi stared down at the little bundle in his arms, cradling his son to his chest. A tuft of midnight hair crowed his head as his powerful set of lungs released another wail into the twilight sky.

"Just a little longer, Ichigo, stop crying." Itachi whispered to the newborn who, surprisingly, quieted down. "Sasuke, come take him." Sasuke did not hesitate in gently taking hold of his nephew, rocking the child as Itachi turned his attention back to Sakura.

"Get ready, Sakura." Ino said, hands at the ready for the next child. "Ok, push." the rosette hunkered down and pushed with everything she had. Her blonde, best friend encouraged her to continue as Itachi did the same. Minutes passed as Sayaka's head began to crown. "You're almost there Sakura! Give me a big push!" a battle cry left Sakura's lungs as she pushed once more. "Oh, Kami…" Ino whispered, and Sakura knew something was wrong.

"Ino, what's wrong?" asked Sakura as she whispered back.

"Sakura, I need you to push as hard as you can." the blonde said, serious eyes on her friends. "The umbilical cord is wrapped around her neck." Itachi's hand tightened around Sakura's.

"Push, Sakura." he told her, urged her to save their daughter. With a broken cry, Sakura pushed as hard as she could until the pressure in her abdomen was gone. Sayaka was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. Ino quickly cut the cord and began CPR. A minute stretched into an eternity as Sakura and Itachi watched Ino work. Two fingers pressed against Sayaka's chest, forcing her heart to pump blood through her system before Ino forced air into her tiny nose and mouth.

"Come on, Sayaka." Sakura urged from the corner, crying into Itachi's hand. "Please wake up for mommy!" another minute went by before a tiny gasp was heard followed by soft whimpering. Itachi visibly sagged in relief over the hole, thanking the heavens above.

"Here she is, little miracle number two." Ino chimed having cleaned and wrapped Sayaka in a blanket. "Let's get you guys out of here, ne?"

~xxx~

Sakura spent a week in the hospital with the twins. Both had Itachi's hair and Sakura's green eyes. Ichigo was a spitting image of his father where as Sayaka looked just like Sakura. The family had many well-wishers over the next seven days. Everyone from friends, family, acquaintances; almost the whole village had come to see Sakura, the babies, and to wish the new family well and congratulations. By the end of the week, Sakura had been ready to rip people in half, thankfully that didn't happen. But Naruto and Shisui were very close to the list of receiving beating until the were puddles of goop under Sakura's fist.

But Itachi had been there to fend off unwanted visitors because even he was getting to the point of insanity. Check up after check up from Tsunade deemed the family fit to go home today. The only question was… where were they going to stay until the house was rebuilt? With Sasuke staying at Naruto's, Mikoto and Fugaku rooming in Shisui's house, Itachi had nowhere else to go with two babies. Kakashi offered to give up his apartment while he roomed with Yamato, but Sakura would have none of that. Besides, what if one of the babies was allergic to dogs? That put his whole apartment on the 'no go' list.

A knock on the door sounded in the small room. Itachi, on diaper duty, looked up to Sakura who smiled softly and nodded. Padding soundlessly to the door, Sakura grinned when Shizune appeared on the other side.

"Good afternoon, Sakura-chan." the raven-haired woman with an angelic smile.

"Good afternoon, senpai. Please, come in." Sakura offered opening the door more for her.

"Oh, I won't be staying long." Shizune said, reaching into her pocket. "I came by to drop this off for you." in her hand was a key… and it looked very familiar to Sakura. "Tsunade-sama was able to acquire your old apartment until the district is rebuilt, rent free of course." Sakura took the key with a glowing smile as she thanked her long time friend.

"Thank you so much. We weren't exactly sure what we were going to do once we left today." Sakura admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Well, problem solved, I guess." the older woman said with a shrug, she really needed to stop hanging out with Genma. A loud coo from Ichigo made the women turn their attention to the bundles on the bed, waving their hands around as Itachi smirked down at them and tickled their tummies.

"Don't tell anyone you saw that," Sakura whispered.

"No one would believe me if I did." Shizune shot back. "Anyways, I don't want to keep you here any longer than you need to be."

"Thanks a bunch, senpai." the women shared a brief hug before Shizune left for her rounds.

~xxx~

The apartment hadn't changed since she left, except the fact that the guest room was now a nursery. The landlord had been there to greet the happy parents and told them that the Hokage had all of Sakura's thing brought out of storage. Things were put into place by Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi -since they spent most of their time there anyway. Mikoto and Tsunade decorated the nursery themselves and made everyone swear not to go in there… at all! After placing the children in the crib, Itachi left to make tea while Sakura checked for food and clothes.

"It still looks the same. I know it's only been seven months but…" Sakura looked around the kitchen. "I don't know. Maybe I expected it to change as much as I have."

"The only thing that's changed is the fact that we are parents now." Itachi intoned lightly, pouring the hot water into mugs. Sakura sat down at the table, smiling as he set a mug in front of her.

"Well, this is where it started, where _we_ started." nostalgia washed over her as she took a sip of her tea.

"Yes." he said, eyes scanning from the counters to the attached dining room and living room, looking at everything until they came to rest on Sakura's smiling eyes. "Our first meal together was at that table. We shared our first kiss in front of the kitchen sink. The first time we made love was in front of the fireplace, in the living room. We began here."

"I should have thanked Orochimaru." she said suddenly, receiving a bizarre look of 'what-the-hell-are-you-taking-about?' from her husband. Sakura chuckled softly, reaching to caress his right hand with her left. "Because, if he hadn't hurt you during that mission, it wouldn't have landed you on my doorstep at three in the morning. And we wouldn't be." Itachi gave her a thoughtful look before nodding.

"I suppose so." he finally said, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. "We are back to where we started."

"With a few bonuses." Sakura added with a serene and peaceful gaze. They stared at each other lovingly until a hungry cry came from the nursery. "Oh, sounds like Ichi's hungry."

And this was the start of a beautiful life, and it would only get better in time.

(**A/N**: Well, I suppose this means I have to write a prequel to Intervention now. Damn me! Oh well, it's my own damn fault, I guess. Anyways, review damn it!)


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